Selectively Automated Robotic Surgical System

Abstract

Robotic surgical systems and computer-implemented methods for manipulating an anatomy involve a manipulator to support and move a saw tool, a user interface, and a control system. The control system associates a target plane with the anatomy and receives user selection(s) defining whether action(s) involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane should be facilitated using an automated mode or a manual mode of the manipulator. The control system operates the manipulator to facilitate the action(s) in the automated mode or the manual mode as defined by the user selection(s).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robotic surgical system to manipulate an anatomy, the robotic surgical system comprising:
 a manipulator being configured to support and move a saw tool;   a user interface; and   a control system coupled to the manipulator and the user interface and being configured to:
 associate a target plane with the anatomy, the target plane delineating a portion of the anatomy to be resected; 
 receive, with the user interface, one or more user selections that define whether at least one action involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane should be facilitated using an automated mode or a manual mode of the manipulator; and 
 operate the manipulator to facilitate the at least one action involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane in the automated mode or the manual mode as defined by the one or more user selections. 
   
     
     
         2 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action is defined as a group of distinct actions comprising: movement of the saw tool to resect the anatomy along the target plane; retraction of the saw tool along the target plane; and alteration of an orientation of the saw tool on the target plane while the saw tool remains aligned to the target plane. 
     
     
         3 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 2 , wherein the group of distinct actions further comprises alignment of the saw tool to the target plane. 
     
     
         4 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 2 , wherein the control system is configured to:
 receive, with the user interface, a plurality of user selections that define whether each distinct action of the group should be facilitated using the automated mode or the manual mode of the manipulator; and   operate the manipulator to facilitate each distinct action of the group in the automated mode or the manual mode as defined by the plurality of user selections.   
     
     
         5 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the target plane is a first target plane and the portion of the anatomy is a first portion; and   the control system is further configured to:
 associate a second target plane with the anatomy, the second target plane delineating a second portion of the anatomy to be resected, and the second portion being different from the first portion; and 
 receive, with the user interface, one or more additional user selections that define whether the at least one action involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the second target plane should be facilitated using the automated mode or the manual mode of the manipulator; and 
 operate the manipulator to facilitate the at least one action involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the second target plane in the automated mode or the manual mode as defined by the one or more additional user selections. 
   
     
     
         6 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
 receive, with the user interface, one or more additional user selections that define a feed rate of the saw tool with respect to the at least one action; and   operate the manipulator to facilitate the at least one action according to the feed rate defined by the one or more additional user selections.   
     
     
         7 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to intraoperatively receive the one or more user selections from the user interface. 
     
     
         8 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , comprising a display device and wherein:
 the user interface is further defined as a graphical user interface presented on the display device;   the graphical user interface is configured to present the at least one action; and   the one or more user selections are made with, and presented on, the graphical user interface.   
     
     
         9 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 8 , comprising a head-mounted device including the display device, wherein the display device is configured to present the graphical user interface using extended reality. 
     
     
         10 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 8 , wherein the control system is configured to control the graphical user interface to selectively present the at least one action based on a particular type of surgery, a particular type of the anatomy, or a particular surgical plan. 
     
     
         11 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to control the user interface to automatically provide a suggestion as to whether the at least one action should be facilitated using the automated mode or the manual mode of the manipulator. 
     
     
         12 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to automatically provide the suggestion based on one or more data sources comprising: a current surgical plan involving the anatomy, historical surgical plan data, statistical patient data, preferences of a surgeon, and/or historical data involving the manipulator. 
     
     
         13 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 12 , wherein the control system is configured to automatically provide the suggestion by employing a machine learning algorithm that is trained to infer the suggestion based on evaluation of the one or more data sources. 
     
     
         14 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to receive, with the user interface, one or more additional user selections that override the suggestion. 
     
     
         15 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control system operates the manipulator to facilitate the at least one action in the automated mode by being configured to control the manipulator to perform automated movements of the saw tool; and   the control system operates the manipulator to facilitate the at least one action in the manual mode by being configured to move the saw tool responsive to user-applied forces to the saw tool.   
     
     
         16 . A robotic surgical system to manipulate an anatomy, the robotic surgical system comprising:
 a manipulator being configured to support and move a saw tool;   a user interface; and   a control system coupled to the manipulator and the user interface and being configured to:
 associate a target plane with the anatomy, the target plane delineating a portion of the anatomy to be resected; 
 control the manipulator in one or both of an automated mode and a manual mode to facilitate a group of distinct actions involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane; and 
 receive, with the user interface, user selections that define whether each distinct action of the group should be performed with the manipulator using the automated mode or the manual mode. 
   
     
     
         17 . The robotic surgical system of  claim 16 , wherein the group of distinct actions comprises: alignment of the saw tool to the target plane; movement of the saw tool to resect the anatomy along the target plane; retraction of the saw tool along the target plane; and alteration of an orientation of the saw tool on the target plane while the saw tool remains aligned to the target plane. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method of operating a robotic surgical system to manipulate an anatomy, the robotic surgical system including a manipulator to support and move a saw tool, a user interface, and a control system coupled to the manipulator and the user interface, the computer-implemented method comprising the control system performing the following steps:
 associating a target plane with the anatomy, the target plane delineating a portion of the anatomy to be resected;   receiving, with the user interface, one or more user selections for defining whether at least one action involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane should be facilitated using an automated mode or a manual mode of the manipulator; and   operating the manipulator for facilitating the at least one action involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane in the automated mode or the manual mode as defined by the one or more user selections.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one action is defined as a group of distinct actions comprising: movement of the saw tool to resect the anatomy along the target plane; retraction of the saw tool along the target plane; and alteration of an orientation of the saw tool on the target plane while the saw tool remains aligned to the target plane. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for a robotic surgical system, the robotic surgical system including a manipulator to move a saw tool with respect to a target plane of an anatomy using an automated mode or a manual mode, a display device, and one or more processors, the non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to:
 provide, on the display device, a graphical user interface that presents a group of distinct actions involving movement of the saw tool with respect to the target plane;   receive user selections that define whether each distinct action of the group should be performed with the manipulator using the automated mode or the manual mode; and   provide commands to the manipulator to facilitate the group of distinct actions in the automated mode or the manual mode as defined by the user selections.